looking at a 2005 xt.

2232 Views 14 Replies 9 Participants Last post by Stella501, Feb 21, 2013

lpoutback

Discussion Starter · Feb 9, 2013

almost new guy here. looking at a 2005 outback xt. 112.000 miles the shop is asking 8,8500 for it. it rides nice and every option seems to work.
the car does run alittle ruff in gear at idle. but the vehicle has been sitting on a lot for a little bit. any help would be apreciated. never really got in to subaru before they really seem like great cars. also what is the 0.60 on theys cars at seems pretty quick.

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rasterman

· #2 · Feb 9, 2013

You've got some reading to do.

Cars101 for general information.

That car was almost certainly traded in because somebody didn't want to pay for the 105k mile maintenance interval. See this thread for more info.

Can't say that you haven't found a nice car, but find out whether the major maintenance cycle was done by the previous owner. Budget/negotiate accordingly.

Good luck!

PS Car and Driver clocked it at 7.1 seconds with the 5-spd auto.

lpoutback

Discussion Starter · #3 · Feb 9, 2013

thanks alot. I have been getting some information on the maintenance of this vehicle and the use of premium gas. this was going to be for my daughter to drive for her first car.

rasterman

· #4 · Feb 9, 2013

It's the fastest, fuel thirstiest, most expensive to maintain version of the outback. It's also the most fun, by far.

AWDFTW

· #5 · Feb 9, 2013

Outback XT is NOT a good first car. The turbo engine is not for beginners unless they plan on researching AND taking care of it.

Requires premium fuel. Regular will cause issues.
Needs synthetic oil and diligent oil changes. Not forgiving of neglect.

Potential for lots of repairs.

jp1203

· #6 · Feb 9, 2013

AWDFTW said:
Outback XT is NOT a good first car. The turbo engine is not for beginners unless they plan on researching AND taking care of it.

Requires premium fuel. Regular will cause issues.
Needs synthetic oil and diligent oil changes. Not forgiving of neglect.

Potential for lots of repairs.

Agreed.

If you want a relatively quick one around that age that is probably much more reliable, look for an H6 (3.0R). The H6 engine for 05-09 makes 245 HP and 215 lb ft of torque (as opposed to 243 HP and 241 lb-ft of torque in the XT). Not as quick as the XT but pretty comparable at highway speeds and definitely no slouch! Also only available with an automatic transmission, as opposed to being able to get an XT with a manual or an auto. The H6 engine is very, very bulletproof.

Shandy

· #7 · Feb 9, 2013

05 xt

I purchased an 05 XT 5 speed man- for my son(17) about two months ago and we've loved it...but I'm a maintenance nut. I've had turbo cars and currently have two! I did my research here and found several things to negotiate before I purchased, one being the 105k timing belt. This is our first Subaru and I'm thinking I'll be looking for one for my daughter this time next year when she turns 16. We put a Subtle 1" lift on it and I get all my OEM parts from www.subarupartsforyou.com; not a user friendly website but cheap OEM parts...my dealership said they could not match their prices.

I do have to work on the Buick bounce in the rear. You'll also hear talk about a knocking at low speeds..this was the dog bone mount that had come loss..easy fix. Another vibration in the trans could be the need for new axles or u-joints.

AND recently we had some snow and that little car did great. The manual XT has limited slip in the rear. I think this only came in the manual XT but I could be wrong.

Also no bitching about premium gas and synthetic oil changes, you have been warned.

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jp1203

· #8 · Feb 9, 2013

Shandy said:
AND recently we had some snow and that little car did great. The manual XT has limited slip in the rear. I think this only came in the manual XT but I could be wrong.

Also no bitching about premium gas and synthetic oil changes, you have been warned.

My 2008 3.0R also has a limited slip rear end. I think they did away with that in 2010.

Worth mentioning that premium gas is recommended in the H6 (but not required like in the XT). I always run 93 octane in mine just as I did in my 2004 H6.

Michael Aos

· #9 · Feb 10, 2013

My wife and I had a 2011 Outback 2.5i Limited. We (probably mostly me) just didn't love it. Had the "can't go uphill in reverse" issue, and was just so gutless. MPG struck me as very comparable to the 6-cyl in real-world driving.

We traded it for a 2013 RDX AWD for her. I kind of missed having a little run-around wagon (despite already having a 4x4 pickup with a topper and a RWD cargo van). I've had a couple of turbo diesels in the past and was impressed with them. So I set out looking for a turbo wagon. Wound up with a 2005 Outback XT 5MT Limited w/~102K.

I bought it for between $9100 - $9600 (depending on how you value the trade) and then wound up sticking another ~$3500 into it in no time.

It's REALLY fun to drive, which is what I was going-for, but I'm definitely second-guessing whether I should have just waited for a nice H6 / 3.0R instead.
--

rasterman

· #10 · Feb 10, 2013

Michael Aos said:
It's REALLY fun to drive, which is what I was going-for, but I'm definitely second-guessing whether I should have just waited for a nice H6 / 3.0R instead.
--

Ah, you just need to pass a few more 3.0s on the highway. :29:

jp1203

· #11 · Feb 10, 2013

I struggled with the H6/XT decision myself. My heart wanted the XT, my brain told me I'm better off with the 3.0R. So far, I'm happy with my decision. That H6 has plenty of power for me. Everyone who I've let drive it has been very impressed. Having nearly all the torque available even at low revs is nice.

Boxxerace

· #12 · Feb 10, 2013

The stock ecu programming on the 05 xt is not exactly smooth but the engine has loads of power. The suspension sucks. Plan on buying and installing some decent struts and ideally springs.

This is a first year model, expect some trouble. Then again, its a fun car that can be reliable. Problems have never stopped us from driving.

lpoutback

Discussion Starter · #13 · Feb 10, 2013

thanks for all they feed back. changing direction and looking at honda pilots.

OregonBP9

· #14 · Feb 11, 2013

lpoutback said:
thanks for all they feed back. changing direction and looking at honda pilots.

Wow, there's a bad decision. Make sure you understand the transmission failure mode, what years it affects, and whether or not the vehicle you're looking at falls under the extended warranty provisions of the TSB.

Stella501

· #15 · Feb 21, 2013

Got one on the lift right now, oil everywhere, not going to be cheap. Never had synthetic or premium gas. Avoid turbos unless you have a ton of tools and know how to use them. S. A regular OB is a heck of a car.

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